Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-22
AN EXECuTIoN IN JAPAN.


As each man topped from the path on
to the plateau his eyes were firmly band.
aged white paper, the only act of
mercy | saw vouchsafod that morning,
Finally they were ranged in line, the two
cripples huddled on the ground, their
poor heads as they dropped from shoulder
to shoulder being roughly buffeted to a
proper angle by the policemen in charge.
This accomplis he'd amid silence so alb.
solute that We could almost hear our
hearts beat, the great man on the camp
stool rose and unfolding q large docu
ment, read III n loud voice what we sup
posed to be description OF the crimes
for which the poor fellows were TO suffer
and the process of condemnation and
sentence. This was very long business,
and before 1t WAS nearly finished the
native spectators were laughing and iok-
ing upon the appearance of the doomed
men, with that callousness to human suf-
ferlng which so much blackens the othor.
wise amiable and pleasing character of
these japanese people. At last 1t was
finished As there we're but five holes
for seven prisoners, two would be obliged
TO remain in blind agony while their
men were accordingly thrust forward
with the slaves and fists of the police;
each man was MADE 20 squat on Il
mound, his ciothes-if filthy, tattered
rags could be called clothes stripped
from his shoulders, his hands tied behind
his back and his head pushed forward
over the hole. Our feelings at this awful
moment cen better be imagined than
described, but / think we felt quite as
much pity for the two poor wretches lett
alone to listen TO what was going on with
out that artificial aid Of fortitude which
the sight of crowd sometimes gives, as
for their companions on their death seats.
Undoubtedly execution by the trenchant
Japanese sword is as merciful death ms
can be desired; but the oriental nature,
as if 70 compensate for their errinR on
tho side of mercy, counterbaancss IT by
an undue prolongation of the prepare
tons for death, which is worse than r
hundred deaths. SO in this case. As
the poor fellows knelt over their holes
the executioner slowly and deliberately
took off his coat anG barred his arms.
Then he took from its silk easing the
fatal sword, examined it fOndly and
lingeringly from the Ydsuri me, or filings
on the hilt to keep the grasp from slip
ping, along the Khimon, or groove in the
blade, TO the point, held 10 over paul
while coolie trickled water down it, and
with a great deal OF setting Of his feet,
was ready. ! felt sick and giddy, but |
kept my eyes fixed on the scene. At q
sign from the official on the camp stool,
the executioner raised his sword slightly.
hardly half a dozen inches, and almost
before could realize il the mans head
was hanging over tho hole by a single
ligament, and the blood was gushing
forth in torrents. | then saw why the
executioner had not completely severed
the head; and the wonderful skill OF the
japanese swordsmen, using as they do
the most perfect weapons in the world
can be imagined in so arranging thC
force of the blow that absolute decapita
tioDs does not take place. lilo tore the
head of and held il towards the -four
sides of the square; then he gave it TO a
coolie, who roughly plastered the severed
sortion with clay and stuck il on kind
of elevated shelf. In the meanwhile two
coolies we're humping on the back Of the
PROSTATE body 10 hasten tie rush of
blood, after which one OF the coarse mats
was thrown over il and it was LAID aside
had seen enough, and turned my head
away as the executionqr, after wipIpg bis
blade with paper, approached the second
poor wretch, who was shouting out some
thing at the top Of his voice, whether a
confession or a denunciation of injustice
was not scholar enough TO understand
English and American Girls
Our English girls, no doubt, bear Of
the palm among the nations Of the world